This was a major city in western Asia Minor in New Testament times. It lies in a spacious valley, sixteen miles from the Aegean Sea in what is today the country of Turkey. In the centuries before Christ, Pergamum was the capital of an independent kingdom. As one of the most beautiful cities of ancient world it became an important kingdom during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC. Its architecture and statues are among the finest samples of the Hellenistic world. Impressive temples, library, and medical facilities made Pergamum a renowned cultural and political center. By the time Revelation was written, Pergamum had become part of the Roman Empire, but because of its location and importance, the Romans used it as an administrative center for the province of Asia.
On this tour you will be visiting;
Aesclepium; The god of healing, Aesclepius received worship in cultic centers around the Greek and Roman world. This large complex at Pergamum was originally constructed in the 4th century B.C. and became an official center in the the 3rd c.
In the 2nd c. A.D., Hadrian further developed the center and it was added to the list of "wonders of the world."
Acropolis; One of the seven churches addressed in Revelation, the city of Pergamum became the center of a large kingdom in the 3rd century B.C. and retained its status as a political and cultural leader into the Byzantine period.
The acropolis rises 1300 feet above the lower city located on the plain of the Caicus River.
Serapeum/Red Basilica; A temple to the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld was erected in the lower city of Pergamum. The Serapis cult was founded by Ptolemy I and was centered in Alexandria.
Held to be a god of healing, particularly of blindness,Serapis was one of a number of Egyptian deities worshiped in ancient Greece and Rome.
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Transfer with A/C Vehicle
